Lubricating system for internal-combustion engines



May 26, 1925. 1,539,607

F. s. SPRING LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Dec. l5, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. 1

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F. S. SPRING LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed D60. l5, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

FIG 6 mvE'N-roa Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES FRANK s. SPRING, or SANDUSKY, oHIo.

LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION FIIT(3[1\TIE`S.A

Application led-Decem'ber 13, 1921. Serial No. 522,035. I

To aZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK S. SPRING, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of Sandusky, in the county of Erie and State of Ohio, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Lubricating Systems for Internal-Combustion Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be av full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to lubricating systems for internal combustion engines and relates particularly to the lubrication of the engines of'motor vehicles, including passenger automobiles, trucks, tractors and motorcycles.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved lubricating system of .the forced-feed circulating type, in which the oil is removed from the oil pan or sump of the engine as fast as it is collected, thereby avoiding the splashing of the oil which, in ordinary lubricating systems, causes an excessive mist and over-lubrication of the cylinder blocks, which results in a smoky motor and causes excessive deposits ofv carbon'in the combustion chambers and on the piston heads.

Another object of my invention is to provide a lubricating system which shall furnish a continuous, cool, and clean supply of oil to all parts of the engine.

Another object of my invention is to provide a circulating system of lubrication including an oil-storage tank located some distance from the engine and provided with means for straining means for cooling the hot oil received from the engine. i l

A further object of my invention is to provide a lubricating system of the charac'- ter indicated, having a tankI for storing, iiltering and cooling the oil, a pump for conveying the oil from the sump of the engine to the tank,

the tank and returning it to the engine.

The accompanying drawing shows the'` manner in which I now prefer to constructl my improved lubrication system, it being understood, however, that various changes may be made without departing from my invention.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view o f a portion of an automobile engine equipped with my invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevational view taken from the right of Fig, 1;

the oil, and also with and another pump for lvertical channel 19 and drawing olf the cooled and filtered oil from Fag. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the oil tank, the section being taken substantially on the line 3--3, Fig. 1;v

Fim 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view. of-o e the oil tank, the section being taken sub-f' stantially on the line 4 4, Fig. 3; Fig. 5f f view ofthe oil pump; Fig.- 6 -1s a y vertical sectional view of the oil pump, thef'l v 5 and Fig. 7 is a vertical I' tional view vof the oil pump taken at right 1 angles to the section of Fig. 6 andsubstan- -v is a plan section being taken substantially on the line 6-6, Fig. 5';

tially on the line 7-7, Fig. 5.

In the drawing, the numeral 2 designates a portion of the crank case of an automobile engine having the usual oil pan or sump" 3, beneath which is attached a pump housing 4 consisting of an upper half 5 and a lowery half 6, separated by a divider plate 7 which divides the interior of the' pump housing into upper and lower chambers 8 and 9, each of which contains an oil pump f of the gear type. Both of these pumps .are

driven by a vertical shaft 10 connected to the crank shaft through suitable gearing or cam shaft of the engine or to other suit i able driving means. The pump contained in the upper chamber 8 draws off the oil accumulated in the oil panv 3 and consists of a gear cooperating gear 12 carried by a vertical shaft 13 which is mounted in bearings formed in the upper and lower halves of tlei ab *i* pump housing. The lower ump, contain in the chamber 9 delivers 11 carriedby the shaftlO and a resh, cool oil to the engine and consists of a gearl 14 carried by the shaft 10 and a cooperating gear linlet 24 communicating with one end of a perforated distributor 25 which rests upon the bottom of an is pinched, as shown, or is otherwise closed, and perforations 28 tributor pipe in order to spread the oil areprovided in the dis- '11d `evenly in the lowencompartment of the oil j i i tank 26, f-

' 1 5 carried by the shaft 12. -The oil from."l i

the oil pan 3 enters the upper half of the 9 5 pump housing'through a port 16 and thence l 11 and 12. Fromj' i los oil storage tank 26. The outer end 27 of the oil distributor pipe 251 The tank 26, as shown in Fig. 2, is located a suiiicient distance from the engine for proper cooling, and may be attached by means of bolts 29 and brackets 30 to one of the side-sills 31 of the chassis of the car, where it stands in the cool space between the side-sill 30 and the valance cover 31.

The tank 26 is divided into two compartments by a horizontal strainer which consists of a rectangular metal frame 35 carrying fine wire gauze 36, preferably SO-mesh. The strainer is removably carried by a flange 37 extending around the' inside of the tank near its ottom. A cover 38 is secured to the upper flange 39 of the tank 26 by means of bolts 40 and is provided with a filling opening surrounded by an internally threaded flange 41 in which is screwed a filler cap 42 provided with lateral air openings 43. and a vertical air opening 44 for maintaining atmospheric pressure in the tank 20. The vertical opening 44 is closed by a plug 45. A conical strainer 46 of wire gauze is removably suspended from the fille opening, as shown in Fig. 3.

Cooling fins 47 are rovided on the bottom i. of the tank 26 in or er to assist in cooling the hot oil which enters the bottom compartment of the tank through the pipe 19.

Oil is drawn from the tank 26 through an outlet 48 which is 'attached by means of a j pipe-connection 49 to a return oil tube 50 which leads back to the oil pump housing and is connected thereto by means of a connection 51. The oil from the tube 50 passes into the lower pump-chamber 9, through the lower gear pump, and thence through a vertical channel 52 and a horizontal channel 531:0 an outlet port 54 and back to the engine. The -connections by which the oil is distributed from the ump to the engine bearings and other lubrication points form no part of my invention and are therefore notshown on the drawing. v

In the operation of the system described above, the upper gear pump draws off, as fast as it collects in the oil pan 3, all of the oil from the various bearings and other points of lubrication, thereby keeping the oil an Asubstantially dry at all times. This use oil is forcedlinto the oil tank 26 by the upper gear pump', and is distributed evenly therein by the perforated distributor pipe 25. 4 This oil is then compelled, by the ressure produced in the lower chamber o the tank, to pass up through the strainer 36 which effectively removes all carbon particles, sediment and other impurities from the oil. At the same time, the hot oil from they engine is cooled by radiation from the walls 7,01? the tank 26, assisted by the fins 47 From the upper compartment of the oil l '1 tank 26, clean and cool oil is drawn by the lower gear pump through the return tube 50, and is delivered through properlydesigned passages to all the working parts of the engine. l

The oil tank 26 is referably made of suficient capacity so t at the automobile can run several thousand miles before refilling the tank. For one standard ty e of auto- 4mobile this tank contains 4 al ons of oil. VVhenrefilling is necessar t e location of the tank at one side of t e ear makes the filling operation easy, and the strainer 46 removes any foreign matter that may be carried by the oil. When it is necessary to \clean the oil tank, the cover 38 and the strainers 36 and 46 may readily be removed and the interior of the tank -is then accessible for draining and cleaning.

The system described above is entirely automatic in its operation and has numerous advantages. Since the oil an is kept practically dry, there is no sp ashing of oil in the crank case and consequently no over lubrication, smoke or excessive carbon deposits.

. It is found that after considerable mileage the oil in the tank still maintains its original reenish color, and the consumption of oil y the enginev is greatly decreased because vaporization is prevented by running the oil pan dry and by the method of cooling.

As stated above, the accompanying drawing `shows a construction which is preferred for carrying out my invention, but it isl to be understood that my invention is not limited to the structural details herein shown, but may be modied within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A lubricating system for internal combustion en ines comprising an oil storage tank divi ed by means of a horzontal `strainer into a relativel large upper compartment and a relative y small lower compartment, an oil inlet below said strainer, a perforated oil distributor pipe connected to said inlet and adapted to distribute oil evenly in said lower compartment, an oil outlet above said strainer, and a filler cap removably inserted in an opening in said tank and provided with an air port for maintaining atmospheric pressure within said tank.

2. A lubricating system for internal combustion engines comprising an oil storage tank displaced from the engine and divided by a horizontal strainer into a relatively large upper compartment and a relatively small lower compartment, an oil inlet disposed below said strainer, ayperforated oil istributor ipe communicating with said oil inlet and a apted to distribute oil evenly in said lower compartment, an oil outlet above said strainer, means for closing said tank while maintaining atmospheric pressure therein, a pump for drawing off oil from the oil pan of the engine and for forcing said used oil through said strainer, and another pumpfor drawing oi oil y lubrication points of the engine.

l3. A lubricating system for internal combustion engines comprising an oil tank divided by means of a horizontal screen into a relatively large upper compartment and a relatively small lower compartment, an oil inlet disposed in a side wall of said tank below said strainer, a perforated distributor pipe communicating with said oil inlet and adapted to distribute oil evenly in said lower compartment, an oil outlet disposed 1n a side Wall of said tank above said strainer, a

removable cover for said tank, a filler cap removably closing an opening in said tank,

cooling fins formed on the outside of said tank, a pump connected to draw o the oil accumulated in the oil pan of the engine land to force said accumulated oil through said distributor pipe 'and through said strainer, and a second pump connected to draw o oil from said pipe through said outlet and deliver said oil to the lubrication points of the engine.

. In testimony whereof, IV the said FRANK S. SPRING have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK S. SPRING. Witnesses: I

JOHN F. WiLL, EDITH K. FREESE.' 

